Black and Anything but Blue
On the cover of Rilo Kiley’s Under the Blacklight, singer Jenny Lewis and guitarist Blake Sennett stare coldly at each other as their band mates look forward. Their romantic breakup after the release of 2004′s successful More Adventurous nearly killed the band’s momentum, especially after Lewis found acclaim with her solo Rabbit Fur Coat. The band is back with the release of Under the Blacklight, and while many critics are noting Lewis and Sennett’s Fleetwood Mac-like ability to churn out music under emotional turmoil, what’s more noteworthy is that Rilo Kiley has taken their music in a whole new direction and put out what may be their most enjoyable album to date.
Mad Good
Matt Nathanson is something of a paradox. He’s a serial jokester who writes intensely touching songs. He’s a radio-ready pop star who seems content having spent ten years under the radar. And while some might suggest that he “sold out” when releasing the robustly produced 2003 album Beneath These Fireworks (which didn’t really sell, per se); true to this dual nature, his sound benefited from the move.
A Steal at Twice the Price
It’s somewhat strange that, after three years working at a place that switches to flexible hours during the summer, I haven’t found a proper way to take advantage of the fact that I don’t have to work most Fridays between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Through Mark at the Long Cut, I knew of WXPN’s Free at Noon Concert series, but I never thought it would be worth my afternoon to take advantage.
Pretty Soon I’m Going to Have to Call it Stalking
Full explanation to follow, but suffice to say that this autograph pretty much guarantees that I’m having a spectacular birthday weekend.
While you’re waiting for an explanation, why not check out the rest of this photo set on my Flickr page?
Sonic Youth
When he first burst onto the music scene as the teenaged frontman of the grunge band Radish, Ben Kweller was all sizzle and no steak. Adored by creative teams at record labels, Radish never caught on commercially, and Kweller broke away from the band at the age of 19 to start a solo career. In his most recent album, a self-titled effort, Kweller finally seems to have settled as a songwriter, reflecting on his erstwhile music ventures and the rediscovery of young love.